Villiers, George Second Duke of Buckingham | Robert F. Willson, Jr. (essay date 1975)
Robert F. Willson, Jr. (essay date 1975)
SOURCE: Willson, Robert F., Jr. “Bayes Versus the Critics: The Rehearsal and False Wit.” In ‘Their Form Confounded’: Studies in the Burlesque Play from Udall to Sheridan, pp. 81-110. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton, 1975.
[In this excerpt, Willson discusses the historical context of Buckingham's play.]
1.
In evaluating Buckingham's inspired farce, we again must turn to historical context, as in the case of The Knight, Dream, and Roister Doister. The Restoration brought with it a revived interest in the theatre and the arts in general. Escaping from Puritan repression and feeling the influence of Louis XIV's worldly court, the English aristocracy took part in a vital quest for pleasure and entertainment of all kinds. As a reflection of the court's desire to foster some competition yet at the same time retain a degree of control over drama and dramatists, Charles...
[The entire page is 13816 words long]
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